Platform scale



W. H. TAYLOR PLATFORM SCALE Feb. 9 1936.

Filed June 11, 192 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W. HI 1 H HHHHHHI I |H IH HI I MI HHHHHH 5? W H l NN MN fi 1. w I a 3 l II h II) III NT I a QNQ I RN @7 m u x QN a, Sw. H \%N mNwNwN QN m mi aw m INVENTOR,

H Ta Feb. 9 1926.

w. H. TAYLOR PLATFORM SCALE 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Filed June 11, 1924 ww Qwm QM 9w w? ww a INVENTOR W31 1mm H TcLy Z07,

I f Wm 2? ATRNEY Patented Feb. 9 7

UNITERD earner orrics.

TAYLOR, OF ST. JOHNSBUEY, VERllIOlTT, ASSIGNDR TO E. & T. FAIR- BANKS AnncoicPANY, or s1. Jorrnszsunv, visn'raonr, 'A oonronnrrlon or VER- MONT.

PLATFORM SCALE.

Application filed June; 11, 1924. Serial No. 219,232

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Johnsbury, i the county of Caledonia and State of Vermont, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in Plat form Scales, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

In an application for patent filed June 19, 1923, Serial No. 6%,289, by Frank E. Church, there was shown and described a portable platform scale embodying several new features of construction, including the matter to be hereinafter shown and described as my invention.

This invention relates to improvements in weighing scales and more especially in some of its dc-tails'to improvements in portable platform scales.

It is a general object of the invention to provide an improved scale of the class mentioned in which simplicity of construction, interchangeability of parts, ease of repair or replacement of parts, and economies in production cost are attained.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved scale in which retirement in construction is employed, resulting in enduringaccuracy, and in which accuracy in operation is undisturbed by a l t disalignment of parts, either due to s tural or *embling inaccuracies, or as sult of se-. ere usage or accident.

Still another object is to provide an impreved lfiiiil arrangement for sealing the center connection of the erers.

Another object is to improve and perfect the elements and assembly of lements in a scale, resulting in production and operating advantages.

Other objects will be in part obvious in connection with the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, and will in part pointed out in connection therewith.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the applica tion of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a complete understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference is had to the following detailed description and to the accompanying drawings, wherem Figure l is a plan view of the platform of a portable platform scale constructed in accordance with the invention, parts being broken away for clearness of disclosure;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through Fig. 1, approxin'iately on the line 22 thereof; 7

Fig. 33 is a detail enlarged view of the center loop or link, showing the improved locking plate and the compensating bearis an edge view thereof; g. o is a plan of the ii-shaped bearing plate; and

l? (S is a section taken on line G-(3 of Fig. 5. 7

Referring now to the drawing for a detailed description of the embodiment of the invention there shown, the scale comprises a base frame 5, preferably provided with trucks 6, for rendering the scale easily port.- able. it lead receiving platform 7 is supported to lie in a plane above the base frame member, and adjacent the forward end thereis an upstanding column 8, for housin the load transn'iitting rod and other opei iarts of the scale, and also for supportthe weigh-beam of the scale. is th s parts do not form any pa sent invention, they are not illu .ne accompanying drawings.

ilk} main lovers 9, 10, are monn e in base frame member, bei preferably of cast inst-a1, and having longitudinally in- =lincd side members and transverse connecion members therefor. The side members at the outer ends thereof merge into )arallel extensions 11, 12, to which the main or corner supporti bearings 13 are connected.

The main levers extend from the main bearings 13 toward each other, the sides converging. and the levers meeting near the center of the base frame member, where spaced parallel frame merbers l t are provided in the lever 9, and similar opposed spaced parallel frame members 15 are provided in the lever-12. These spaced parallel iembers 14 and 15 provide opposed walls ror the support of pivot bearings 16 for the centei-coiinection of the levers. The pivot homing s 16 are supported at both ends in the opposed walls, providing a secure and rigid support, and preventing bending or other displacement incident to severe usage or to other causes. The lever 10 is provided, beyond the center connection, with an e):- tension 17, for transmitting the weighing stresses through the connected transmission rod 18, to the weigh-beam, as is understood in appa atus of this character.

By the present invention, the center connection or suspension for the main scale levers is preferably constructed in such a way as to permit it to be readily placed in posi tion or removed and to be locked in position when the scale is sealed or adjusted for correct weighing. As shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 this connection preferably comprises a connecting link 19 having an opening for the re eption of the self-compensating hearing plates for pivotal engagement with the pivot pins 16, which are anchored in the levers 9 and 10 as above described.

The link 19 is provided with an open side forn'iing a passageway to the interior opening, whereby the link is placed in operative position or removed. This passageway may be closed by a locking; plate 21 preferablj. of sheet metal and having a marginal flange 22 forming a hip, for engagement with the inner face of the link preventing outward movement of the plate and forming; a contact surface against which the pivot pin 16 may strike, as when the levers are violently jarred. At its outer edge ODDOSitE the fianeje 22, the locking plate 21 is provided with projections extending from the corners thereof and lying in position to be bent around the external lugs 24 which are disposed on the link 19 adjacent the passage way.

' inner lugs 25 are also provided k. it) for engagement with the f the locking plate 21, these inner functioning to support the bearing Yi'hen the locking plate 21 is placed in position to span the passageway with the inner flange 22 in engagement with the lug. the projections 23 lie adjacent the 2st, and may be bent around the latter by means of a special tool to secure the locking; plate in position. This locking plat-e provides a simple but effective arrangement for closin the center link or loop in proper oper clVQ position and is easily placed in position when the scale has been assembled.

As particularly shown in Figs. 3, a, 5, and 6, the improved self-compensating; bearing (onstruction includes a plate 20 snbstantiallv V-shaped in end elevation, forming an angular seat for the reception of the pivot. pin 16, this plate preferably being of hardened steel. The bearing;- plate is seated in a correspondingly shaped seat formed in the sup porting link, being secured in position by the lugs 25, at one side overlying the ad jacent edge of the bearing plate, and at the other side by a lug 26 correspondingly ovcritself, being struck up therefrom after the bearmg plate is placed 111 position. The

bearing plate is slotted at the sides thereof. as indicated at 27, for the reception of the sides of the link adjacent the bearing seat so as to prevent the bearing plate from sliding longitudinally out of its seat. The slots 27 are wide enough so the edges thereof engage loosely with the sides of the link, and the retaining lugs 25, and 26 are spaced sutliciently above the edge of the bearing plate to permit freedom of rocking movement so the plate automatically adjusts itself to the proper position for contacting with the pivot pin.

In this manner the bearing: is self-compensating and parts thereof will always be properly aligned irrespective of inaccuracies in the proportions of parts and assembly thereof, and this alignment will be retained irrespective of severe usage or wear. The seat of the bearing" plate in the link being quite narrow, readily permits slight rocking movements of the bearing; therein.

An inexpensive and convenient method of producing the bearing above described has been devised and being substantially as follows: Bars of steel of substantially the cross-sectional shape of the bearing. that is, in the embodiment shown substantially V- shaped, are provided and lengths are cut therefrom correspondingto the hearing length desired. These severed lengths are then punched at the lateral edges thereof to provide the slots 2?, and the annular or V- shaped bearing surface may be smoothed or otherwise conditioned as by grinding. The plate as thus formed is placed in its supporting seat, as in the scat provided in the link 19, and the integral lug or lugs as then struck up from the adjacent metal of the supporliingr seat as by pinching together the metal at the opposite sides of the link or by punching with an appropriate tool.

An improved checking arrangement is also shown whereby the main scale levers and load receiving platform are held in properly centered position. This checking system preferably includes check lugs 28 at the opposite ends of the base frame, each having two spaced vertically disposed opening-s therein, these lugs preferably being formed integrally with the base frame. Similarly formed check lugs 29, preferably four in number, disposed on the four sides of the platform, are spaced from the lugs 28 havin; also vertically disposed openings therein, these lugs preferably beingformed integrally with the base frame. The lugs 29 lie approximately in the same horizontal planes with the corresponding lugs 28. Check rods 30 are provided with angnlarly disposed projections 31 for reception in vertical openings of the check lugs. lVhen the check rods are assembled with the spaced projections 81 seated in the corresponding check lugs, as shown in Fig. 1, the platform and main scale levers will be checked in correctly centered position in all directions.

For a complete understanding of the nature and objects of the above-described check-rods reference should be had to the application filed by Elmore E. Gognon, lilay 31, 191%, Serial No. 716,897 for improvements in check-rods for platform scales.

As will be seen in Fig. 2, the platform is supported by blocks 32 carried on knife edge bearings 33 on the main scale levers.

From the foregoing it will be seen that assembly or disassembly of the various ele ments is provided for and repair and replacement of parts facilitated.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a scale, in combination, a base fra ne, scale levers suspended from said frame at spaced parts thereof extending toward each other, and each having spaced walls, a center connection for said levers, said center connection including pivotal bearings supported at opposite ends in said spaced walls and a connecting link having an opening therein and a passageway leading thereto,

said link having bearing plates cooperating with said pivotal bearings, and a plate adapted to span said passageway and interlock with said link to lock it in position.

2. In a scale, in combination, a base frame, scale levers suspended from said frame at spaced parts thereof, extending toward each other, and each having spaced walls, a center connection for said levers, said center connection including pivotal bearings supported at opposite ends in said spaced walls, a connecting link having an opening therein, and a passageway leading thereto, lugs adjacent said opening, and a plate adapted to span said passageway and having projections for engagement with said lugs.

3. In a scale, in combination, abase frame, scale levers suspended from said frame at spaced parts thereof, extending toward each other, and each having spaced walls, a center connection for said levers, said center connection including pivotal bearings supported at opposite ends in said soaced walls, a connecting link having connection with said pivotal bearings, and having an opening therein and a passageway leading there to, and a locking plate adapted to span said passageway and having an offset flange for engagement with the inner face of said link, and having a projection for engagement with said link.

4%. In a scale, in combination, levers having spaced walls carrying pivotal bearings, and means for connecting said levers comprising a C-shaped link having loosely mounted plates in its top and bottom for engaging with said pivotal bearings.

5. In a scale, in combination, levers having spaced walls carrying pivotal bearings, means for connecting said levers comprising a C- hape'd link having loosely mounted plates in its top and bottom for enga ing with said pivotal bearings, and a pi: *0 adapted to interlock with said link to retain it in position.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto sign my name.

IVILLIAM I-I. TAYLOR. 

